Imprimerie nationale
Encyclopedia
The Imprimerie nationale is the official printing works of the French government, in succession to the Manufacture royale d'imprimerie founded by Cardinal Richelieu. Its Président-directeur général is Didier Trutt (since August 2009).
The Imprimerie nationale has long been the exclusive printer for the state, until the law of 1994 which made it a limited company with the state as sole shareholder.
The Imprimerie nationale retains the collection of punches, a printing workshop and a printing historical library. It possesses also numerous resources for the history of European printing, such as original documents of the Didot
family.
History
Succeeding the Imprimeurs du roi pour le Grec (royal Greek printers) created by François I in 1538 to publish literature, the Imprimerie royale was founded in 1640, by Cardinal Richelieu. Successive governments named it the Imprimerie de la République, then the Imprimerie impériale, the Imprimerie royale and finally the Imprimerie nationale.The Imprimerie nationale has long been the exclusive printer for the state, until the law of 1994 which made it a limited company with the state as sole shareholder.
The Imprimerie nationale retains the collection of punches, a printing workshop and a printing historical library. It possesses also numerous resources for the history of European printing, such as original documents of the Didot
Didot
Didot is the name of a family of French printers, punch-cutters and publishers. Through its achievements and advancements in printing, publishing and typography, the family has lent its name to typographic measurements developed by François-Ambroise Didot and the Didot typeface developed by Firmin...
family.
Chronology
- 1538 : François I grants Conrad Néobar the title of "imprimeur du Roy" for Greek printing.
- 1540 : Robert EstienneRobert EstienneRobert I Estienne , known as Robertus Stephanus in Latin and also referred to as Robert Stephens by 18th and 19th-century English writers, was a 16th century printer and classical scholar in Paris...
was named "imprimeur du roi pour le grec". Claude GaramondClaude GaramondClaude Garamond was a French publisher from Paris. He was one of the leading type designers of his time, and is credited with the introduction of the apostrophe, the accent and the cedilla to the French language. Several contemporary typefaces, including those currently known as Garamond, Granjon,...
created the typeface "grecs du roiGrecs du roiLes grecs du roi are a celebrated Greek typeface designed by Claude Garamond in 1541 and containing a very large number of ligatures.The grecs du roi were ordered by Robert Estienne on behalf of King Francis I of France. The design was based on the handwriting of the Cretan copyist Angelo Vergecio...
". - 1640 : Louis XIII, advised by Richelieu, created the Manufacture royale d'imprimerie in the LouvreLouvreThe Musée du Louvre – in English, the Louvre Museum or simply the Louvre – is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited art museum in the world and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement...
. - 1670 : Jean-Baptiste ColbertJean-Baptiste ColbertJean-Baptiste Colbert was a French politician who served as the Minister of Finances of France from 1665 to 1683 under the rule of King Louis XIV. His relentless hard work and thrift made him an esteemed minister. He achieved a reputation for his work of improving the state of French manufacturing...
began the collection « Le Cabinet du Roi ». - 1749 : the first volumes of the Histoire naturelle of Buffon were printed.
- 1790 : the Imprimerie royale became the Imprimerie du Louvre.
- 1792 : the Imprimerie nationale exécutive left the Louvre, where it had been since 1640.
- 1795 : the hôtel de Penthièvre housed two official printing establishments named Imprimerie de la République.
- 1809 : the Imprimerie impériale was installed at the hôtel de Rohan.There were printed the first 23 volumes of the Description de l'Égypte.
- 1813 : publication of the decree authorising the section of oriental compositors.
- 1870 : the Imprimerie impériale became once more the Imprimerie nationale, a name which it still bears.
- 1900 : for Ambroise VollardAmbroise VollardAmbroise Vollard is regarded as one of the most important dealers in French contemporary art at the beginning of the twentieth century...
the Imprimerie nationale printed the first "artist's book". An edition of Paul VerlainePaul VerlainePaul-Marie Verlaine was a French poet associated with the Symbolist movement. He is considered one of the greatest representatives of the fin de siècle in international and French poetry.-Early life:...
illustrated by Pierre BonnardPierre BonnardPierre Bonnard was a French painter and printmaker, as well as a founding member of Les Nabis.-Biography:...
was also printed. - 1903 : the foundation stone of the new works on the plain of Javel.
- 1910 : the Imprimerie nationale was put in the charge of the Minister of Finance.
- 1921 : the Imprimerie nationale occupied the premises at the rue de la Convention.
- 1961 : publication of the decree of 4 December on the organization of the Imprimerie nationale.
- 1974 : the Imprimerie nationale opened its site de DouaiDouai-Main sights:Douai's ornate Gothic style belfry was begun in 1380, on the site of an earlier tower. The 80 m high structure includes an impressive carillon, consisting of 62 bells spanning 5 octaves. The originals, some dating from 1391 were removed in 1917 during World War I by the occupying...
. - 1992 : inauguration of the works at BondoufleBondoufleBondoufle is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Bondoufle are known as Bondouflois.In 1994 the city hosted the Francophonie Games in Robert Bobin stadium, built for the occasion.-References:**...
by Michel Charasse, minister of the Budget. - 1994 : the Imprimerie nationale became Imprimerie nationale SA the whole capital of which was held by the state.
- 1995 : issue of the first CDROM planned by the Imprimerie nationale.
- 1997 : acquisition of the firms Saqqarah International, Istra, and Mizeret and creation of "groupe Imprimerie nationale"; acquisition of the firm IDC.
- 1997 : creation of workshops for production of plastic cards.
- 1998 : installation of a new press, "la presse dix couleurs", on the Paris site.
- 2000 : the group member IDC, specialising in digital printing, became INumeric.
- 2001 : the group member Mizeret became J. Print.
- 2001 : installation of a KBA rotary press, 64 pages of A4 in four colours at Bondoufle.
- 2003 : dismantling, the buildings on the Convention site were sold to Groupe Carlyle for 85 million euros, they were repurchased in 2007 for 376,5 million euros, for the Ministère des Affaires étrangères. The works were resold to a French printing firm.
- 2005 : the state resold the sites at BondoufleBondoufleBondoufle is a commune in the Essonne department in Île-de-France in northern France.Inhabitants of Bondoufle are known as Bondouflois.In 1994 the city hosted the Francophonie Games in Robert Bobin stadium, built for the occasion.-References:**...
and SchiltigheimSchiltigheimSchiltigheim is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.The inhabitants are called Schilikois in French and Scheligemer in Alsatian....
, closed the Paris site and installed the printing on paper works at Choisy-le-RoiChoisy-le-RoiChoisy-le-Roi is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:Crossed by the Seine river, it is located from the center of Paris....
. - 2006 : prelude to its dismantling: the paper division at Choisy-le-Roi was put under the management of IN Choisy.
- 2008 : in September the paper division and the building at Choisy-le-Roi were given up. Only about 15 employees remained in the new private entreprise.